Jazz Festival unveils full lineup for 2013

The lineup for the 2013 Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival--a nine-day event that promises to be the largest edition yet--was released Tuesday.

Held from June 21 through June 29, the festival will feature more than 1,200 artists performing in 280 concerts, officials said. It will include more than 75 free shows across 19 venues and outdoor stages.

"I am very excited and am looking forward to year 12," said Marc Iacona, the festival’s producer and executive director. "The festival has fast become a best-in-class event for culture and music.”

Iacona noted the festival is a great benefit to local businesses. After drawing close to 187,000 people last year, organizers said they expect to top 200,000 this year.

The festival features a slate of headliners including Willie Nelson & Family; Frampton’s Guitar Circus featuring Peter Frampton and Robert Cray; Pink Martini; Bob James and David Sanborn with Steve Gadd; David Byrne and St. Vincent; and Roger Hodgson, the co-founder of Supertramp.

The festival is partnering with WXXI to produce televised concerts for distribution nationwide on PBS stations.

There also are new aspects for this year, including a series of five structure jazz workshops with host Bob Sneider, assistant professor at the Eastman School of Music. This year’s programming will include free shuttle service.

The full lineup and more information is available at rochesterjazz.com.